Letters to the 913 editor: Brownback’s oaths, same-sex marriage, congressional gridlock

Brownback’s oaths

Gov. Sam Brownback has taken oaths to be a lawyer and governor. In both he swore to support the Constitution of the United States, so help him God.

He knows the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment trumps Kansas state law, whether in a statute or the Kansas Constitution. He has surely read the 10th Circuit Court opinion, explaining why same-sex marriage is protected by the 14th Amendment.

Explaining this to Kansans would be more responsible than grandstanding to his political base.

Jim Duncan

Olathe

Vote for Roberts

Independent Senate candidate Greg Orman is a whiner, which our state does not need. Pat Roberts is being attacked for being a successful senator.

A state with the population of Kansas benefits from a tenured senator who knows his way around Washington, D.C., and our political system. After Orman attacked Roberts for having experience, Roberts attacked Orman.

Orman then produced an ad whining about being attacked. We already have a professional whiner in the White House.

We don’t need another in the Senate. Vote for Sen. Pat Roberts this November.

Joe Lavender

Lenexa

Obama’s progress

There seems to be many people who would slander the current president. This is strange because he is far and above better than his predecessor in almost every aspect.

The previous president pulled us so far into the black abyss of despair and hopelessness that even his own party didn’t want him anywhere near their last political convention. Now, albeit slowly, the economy is coming back, the deficit is going down, profits are going up and medical cost are dropping.

Now this, of course, I did not get from Fox News. Everything isn’t rosy yet, but it really is getting better.

The Affordable Care Act program is even doing better than expected, and more people are able to cover their own medical expense rather than having the rest of us ante up for their share of the cost.

Now if the top 1 percent would start dribbling their money down like we’ve been told they do, the country would be up to full speed in no time at all. Soon all those people who are crying, oh woe is us, will have to give in and say, happy days are here again.

Richard C. Lumpkin

Prairie Village

Kudos to The Star

I have enjoyed play of every game of the Kansas City Royals postseason. But the icing on the cake are the fantastic photos in The Star.

Too few readers bother to read the small print that lists the photographers. Special hats off to David Eulitt, John Sleezer and the other photographers whose action shots bring life to the printed matter.

Go, Royals!

Steve Katz

Leawood

Oust Rep. Yoder

I have called Rep. Kevin Yoder’s office several times this year asking why he voted one way or the other. Each time, I’ve been told “someone will get back to you” without anyone ever returning my calls.

Yoder voted with the Appropriations Committee to not approve the U.S. moving the embassy to combine with the embassy on Vatican grounds. It had been approved during the Bush administration, was set to improve security and save money for the US.

Why did Yoder vote to repeal Obamacare more than 50 times at a cost the Congressional Research Office says is $1.45 million per vote? Why did Yoder vote to deny a president’s ability to designate national monuments, which has been in effect since 1904?

What are the 46 “jobs bills” the House has passed and how many jobs would they produce? They complain that the bills die in the Senate, but if they know going in these bills will never pass the Senate, why waste the time instead of trying to form bipartisan bills that will help our economy?

Why did the representatives work so few days since the end of July?

I will be voting for Kelly Kultala.

Sue Thompson

Mission

Taxes, representation

The Revolutionary War was fought because of taxation without representation. In the United States today, we collect sales tax from everyone.

We collect income tax, FICA and state tax from everyone who works. Property tax is collected from every landowner and, by proxy, from every renter.

Yet we refuse the right to vote to at least 12 percent of our residents. We allow more than 50 percent to not vote.

The government ensures taxation but not representation. How is that not taxation without representation?

Chris Roesel

Roeland Park

War on women

The GOP denies it’s waging a “War on Women.” Let us count the ways:

1. They’re relentless in passing laws to restrict women’s reproductive freedom: extended waiting periods, transvaginal ultrasounds, conscience clauses and personhood amendments.

2. They enact TRAP (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) laws to close down clinics, restricting access to cancer screenings, as well as abortions. As Bill Maher said, the GOP believes in “No sperm left behind.”

3. They support “religious freedom” of male bosses to deny birth control coverage to women employees.

4. They oppose raising the minimum wage, disproportionately hurting women.

5. They’re against the Lilly Ledbetter Act and equal pay laws.

6. They’re shredding the social safety net, making it harder for women to support their children.

7. They make it harder for women to vote when their married names don’t match their birth certificate.

8. They accuse immigrant women of having so-called “anchor babies.”

9. They opposed the Violence Against Women Act.

10. They think rape survivors on campuses and in the military should keep quiet.

If Sigmund Freud had been a feminist, he would have labeled the male attitude toward women “fetus envy.”

Liz Craig

Mission

This story was originally published October 21, 2014 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Letters to the 913 editor: Brownback’s oaths, same-sex marriage, congressional gridlock."